Cyprus seeks distance from Greek euro drama
NICOSIA (Reuters) – Doubts over Greece’s future membership of the euro are straining its historic kinship with Cyprus, as Nicosia distances itself from Athens to try to secure its foothold in the currency bloc.
Oil firm lists nationalities of Islamic State abductees in Libya
VIENNA (Reuters) – The nationalities of foreigners abducted by Islamic State militants in Libya last week were listed as four Filipinos, two Bangladeshis, one Austrian, one Czech and one Ghanaian by the firm managing the oilfield where they worked.
U.S., EU ask Zimbabwe to investigate activist’s disappearance
HARARE (Reuters) – The United States and European Union have asked Zimbabwean authorities to investigate the disappearance of a journalist-turned activist who has been staging sit-ins in the capital demanding that President Robert Mugabe resigns.
U.S. slaps sanctions on Ukrainian rebels, Russian bank
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Wednesday placed sanctions on eight Ukrainian separatists and a Russian bank, warning that recent attacks by rebels armed by Russia violated a European-brokered ceasefire in the war-torn country.
Saudi Arabia recalls ambassador from Sweden in diplomatic row
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador from Stockholm after a diplomatic row between the two countries over Swedish criticism of Riyadh’s human rights record, Saudi Arabia and Sweden said on Wednesday.
Germany brushes off Greek calls for World War Two reparations
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany dismissed Greek demands to pay World War Two reparations after leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras accused Berlin of using legal tricks to avoid paying compensation for the Nazi occupation of his country.
U.N. torture investigator accuses U.S. of delaying prison visits
GENEVA (Reuters) – The U.N. torture investigator accused the United States on Wednesday of stalling on his requests to visit its prisons where 80,000 people are in solitary confinement and to interview inmates at Guantanamo on his terms.
For Palestinians, Israel’s election offers bleak horizon
GAZA/RAMALLAH (Reuters) – As Israelis prepare to elect a new government next week, the view from the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza is not one of hope.
Turkey shuts border crossings as fighting worsens around Syria’s Aleppo
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey has closed two border crossings with Syria as a security precaution as fighting around the northern Syrian city of Aleppo intensifies, Turkish officials said on Wednesday.
Iraq’s newest conflict rescues rusting tanks from scrapheap
AL-HARTHA, Iraq (Reuters) – In a military scrapyard in the southern Iraqi desert, abandoned army equipment sat for years waiting to be melted down to steel bars. Now, thanks to new conflict and a resourceful old mechanic, some of the rusty warhorses ha…
